AdSense vs Mediavine vs Ezoic: Which Ad Network Pays More in 2025?
AdSense vs Mediavine vs Ezoic: Which Ad Network Pays More in 2025?
Bottom line: AdSense is the easiest to get approved for but pays the least. Ezoic pays 2–4× more than AdSense with no minimum traffic requirement. Mediavine pays the most (often $15–$40 RPM) but requires 50,000 sessions/month. Choose based on your current traffic, not your goals.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | AdSense | Ezoic | Mediavine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Min. traffic | None | None (suggested 10K/mo) | 50,000 sessions/month |
| Avg. RPM | $1–$5 | $5–$15 | $15–$40 |
| Approval difficulty | Medium | Easy | Hard |
| Payout threshold | $100 | $20 | $25 |
| Payment timeline | Net 30 | Net 30 | Net 65 |
| Setup complexity | Low | Medium | Low |
| Revenue share | ~68% | ~90% | ~75% |
Google AdSense
Best for: Sites under 10,000 monthly pageviews.
AdSense is the entry point for most publishers. Google's contextual targeting is solid, but RPMs are the lowest of the three — often $1–$3 for general content, $3–$6 for finance or tech niches.
Pros:
Cons:
Ezoic
Best for: Sites with 10,000–100,000 monthly pageviews.
Ezoic uses AI to test thousands of ad placement combinations and find what maximizes your revenue. The result is consistently 2–4× higher RPMs than AdSense for the same content.
Pros:
Cons:
Mediavine
Best for: Established sites with 50,000+ monthly sessions in lifestyle, food, travel, or personal finance niches.
Mediavine is the premium tier. Their managed ad service consistently produces the highest RPMs because they work with premium direct advertisers, not just programmatic bidding.
Pros:
Cons:
Which Network Should You Choose?
Under 10K pageviews/month: Start with AdSense. Build your content volume and traffic first.
10K–50K pageviews/month: Apply to Ezoic. The RPM improvement over AdSense is significant and approval is straightforward.
50K+ sessions/month: Apply to Mediavine if you're in lifestyle, food, personal finance, or parenting. Apply to Raptive (formerly AdThrive) for tech or business content.
The Migration Path
Most successful publishers follow this path:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run AdSense and Ezoic at the same time?
Yes. Ezoic works alongside AdSense and integrates with it. Many publishers run both simultaneously.
Does Mediavine accept all niches?
No. Mediavine is strongest in lifestyle, food, travel, and personal finance. B2B, SaaS, and technical blogs often find better RPMs with Raptive.
How long does Ezoic approval take?
Typically 1–2 weeks. You need to integrate via DNS or plugin, and Ezoic's team reviews the integration before activating ads.
Is RPM the only metric that matters?
No. Also consider payment reliability, support quality, and how ads affect your user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
What happens to my AdSense account when I switch to Mediavine?
Mediavine requires exclusivity — you cannot run AdSense simultaneously. Your AdSense account remains active but paused on that domain.